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++ Patrol Detachment (Chaos - Chaos Space Marines) [32 PL, 497pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Legion: Black Legion

+ HQ +

Master of Possession [5 PL, 88pts]: Cursed Earth, Force stave, Infernal Power, No Chaos Mark, Reader of Fate, Warlord

Warpsmith [4 PL, 60pts]: Bolt pistol, Flamer, Meltagun, No Chaos Mark, Power axe, Trophies of Slaughter

+ Troops +

Chaos Space Marines [4 PL, 57pts]: No Chaos Mark
. Aspiring Champion: Bolt pistol, Combi-bolter
. 4x Marine w/ Boltgun

Chaos Space Marines [4 PL, 57pts]: No Chaos Mark
. Aspiring Champion: Bolt pistol, Combi-bolter
. 4x Marine w/ Boltgun

+ Elites +

Greater Possessed [8 PL, 120pts]
. Greater Possessed: No Chaos Mark
. Greater Possessed: No Chaos Mark

+ Heavy Support +

Venomcrawler [7 PL, 115pts]: No Chaos Mark

++ Total: [32 PL, 497pts] ++

This army focuses on using Chaos Marines as a screen to get the GP and VC into melee where they can shred the enemy. Its essential to move this army as one big blob toward the enemy so all of your units to benefit from the buffs from the MoP, Warpsmith and GP. The Daemonforge strategem is also amazing on the VC in the fight phase. Constructive criticism would be appreciated.

At 500pts it's difficult to give advice but here goes:

Add in another troops unit and you've got a battalion - maybe a cheap unit of cultists? Give your units marks to take advantage of the stratagems - mainly Slaanesh for Endless Cacophony to enable a unit to shoot twice. I would be inclined to drop the greater possessed to load up in more troops to claim objectives - the problem with list deathball is it's not very flexible in spreading out to secure objectives.

Alternative take: Bringing just one venom crawler is risky - even at 500 points that thing is going to get shot off the board. You could ditch the greater possessed and bring another venomcrawler - as it is two squads of five marines aren't going to be an effective screen for vey long and then all your characters are open to get sniped. With two venom crawlers you split your opponent's fire, so at least one of them should get in to combat - and don't forget their guns! They can be handy in a pinch.

TBH I would go the other way. The advantage of the Patrol detachment is that you are not forced to take multiple Troop options or HQs.

Personally I would either lean into the Battalion and replace the CSM squads with cultists (thus netting you 8 CP for various shenanigans, including Tide of Traitors), or drop a HQ and a Troop to bling out your Possessed/VC or add in a Fast Attack.

Full disclosure, I am no Chaos player (basically the only faction I have not tooled around with). I know your HQs can be nasty though, so you may want to keep both of them.

What do you want in your Patrol?

Fisheyes wrote:
TBH I would go the other way. The advantage of the Patrol detachment is that you are not forced to take multiple Troop options or HQs.

Personally I would either lean into the Battalion and replace the CSM squads with cultists (thus netting you 8 CP for various shenanigans, including Tide of Traitors), or drop a HQ and a Troop to bling out your Possessed/VC or add in a Fast Attack.

Full disclosure, I am no Chaos player (basically the only faction I have not tooled around with). I know your HQs can be nasty though, so you may want to keep both of them.

What do you want in your Patrol?

The core issue is, with CSM, that the army is in essence underperforming as soon as you run out of CP.
Making a Batttalion more or less mandatory.

THAT SAID: 3 x5 CSm cost now "only"165 pts.

Further, this is clearly set up as A deathball. the issue is, Venomcrawler have a higher and more devastating tendency to detonate, reducing your deatball too rubble.

If i were the player here, i'd replace the Greater possessed and venomcrawler, with a dakkafieler. (reaper AC and Inferno) and a troop choice.
Not only is the defieler inherently tougher, and less suceptible to removal of support, it also is better in it's hybrid role imo.

I've ultimately decided to swap out one of my greater possessed for a squad of csm to make it a batallion. I prefer a VC over a Defiler here because the VC is significantly more maneuverable.

expanding out I'd strongly consider a unit of chaincannon havoks, (i feel like their high shot output will be useful for engaging a variety of tartegts in lower point games (500/750/1000) and some extra ranged fire support, maybe a dread to benefit from deamonforge or a defiler, maybe both heading towards a1k list... combi-bolter is good on sgts, as the list grows you consider making them 10-strong units with a power fist... with hateful assault aspiring champs have 3 attacks on the charge or recieving, which may be useful to ward off assault units that may be seeking to stop you hosing down screens

Havocs are a good idea, I will probably add a Daemon prince and some possessed in the future

This is what i would run at 500 pts. RCC havocs delete pretty much everything on the table, they can even kill vehicles, only downside is their range of 24", not much of an issue if you play on 48x48". With warptime and prescience they can move again, and get +1 to hit. The lord allows rerolls of 1s. With VOTLW they get +1 to wound and can shoot again with endless cacophony. Thats 64 shots at S5 AP-1 D1 hitting on 2s, rerolling 1s, with +1 to wound. Protect them with conceal, they cant be targeted, unless they are the closest visible unit.